The True Size of Countries
Standard maps use the Mercator projection, which dramatically distorts the size of countries near the poles. Greenland appears as large as Africa, when in reality Africa is 14.5 times larger (11.6M vs 0.8M sq miles). Drag countries, states, and continents on this interactive map to see their true size anywhere in the world.
How It Works
Search for a country, state, or continent, then drag it anywhere on the map. As you move territories toward or away from the equator, watch how their true size compares to surrounding areas. Unlike most maps, this tool corrects for Mercator distortion in real time.
Popular Comparisons
- Greenland vs Africa
- Japan vs United Kingdom
- Russia vs United States
- Brazil vs Australia
- India vs Greenland
- United States vs Europe
Why Do Maps Distort Country Sizes?
The Mercator projection preserves angles, making it useful for navigation, but the tradeoff is that landmasses near the poles get stretched enormously. Greenland, Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia all look far larger than they really are, while equatorial regions like Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia appear smaller.
This projection remains the default in Google Maps, Apple Maps, and most classroom wall maps, which means most people carry a subtly warped mental model of the world. Read more about the Mercator map problem.
Surprising Size Facts
- Africa (11.6M sq mi) is larger than the US, China, India, and Europe combined
- Russia looks 2x bigger than Africa on maps, but is actually 40% smaller
- Brazil is larger than the contiguous United States
- Indonesia stretches wider than the continental US from coast to coast
- The UK fits inside Texas more than 2.5 times
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is Africa really?
Africa covers 11.6 million square miles — large enough to fit the US, China, India, and Europe inside it with room to spare. On most maps it appears roughly the same size as Greenland, which is actually 14.5 times smaller.
What is the Mercator projection?
The Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection that preserves angles and shapes of small areas but significantly distorts the size of objects as the latitude increases from the equator to the poles.
Which countries are most distorted on a standard map?
Countries far from the equator are inflated the most. Greenland appears roughly 16 times its actual size, while Russia and Canada appear about twice as large as they really are. Meanwhile, equatorial countries like Brazil, India, and the DR Congo look smaller than they should.
Can I compare states and continents, not just countries?
Yes — unlike most true-size map tools, this one supports countries, US states, and entire continents. Search for any territory and drag it onto the map to compare.